Caring leaders make better decisions

Caring leaders make better leaders, says the new chairman of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE).

Diana Smalley, a registered nurse and regional president of Mercy in Oklahoma City, talked about three ways to become a more caring leader during her opening remarks Monday at the ACHE's Congress on Healthcare Leadership in Chicago, according toBecker's Hospital Review.

She suggested emulating a great role model or becoming the role model you always wanted to be; recognizing and building upon your strengths and weaknesses and of those around you; and advocating, communicating and collaborating, even with competitors, to protect healthcare in your community.

Healthcare leaders also should develop diverse organizations that incorporate people with different--and complementary--backgrounds and strengths, according to the Becker's report.

Leadership is taking its place among the core values of talented hospital IT executives, too, said Russell Branzell, CEO of the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME).

"The number one skill [required of a good CIO] is relationship management," Branzell said in a recent interview with FierceHealthIT. "It is amazing to me how people don't understand all the inner workings of the ecosystem in the health environment and how physicians interact with nurses who interact with other caregivers who interact with supply chain and how people think."

Anyone who works in healthcare is "part of the care process," he noted.

Hospital leaders are key to creating a culture of service excellence, according to another recent report, including by demonstrating their commitment to providing exceptional patient experiences.

Many argue that the ability to communicate internally is another important leadership core competency, related to the ability to create teamwork and collegiality.